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Theresa May and European Union leaders backed plans at a late night Brussels summit to keep British MEPs in the European Parliament if Brexit is delayed past the March 29 2019 deadline, The Telegraph can reveal.

The revelations risk destabilising an already divided Cabinet ahead of a crunch Chequers meeting on Friday to hammer out a British Brexit vision. At a Conservative fundraiser on Monday, Mrs May issued a desperate pleas for unity.

The EU contingency clause, buried in a seven-page document published at 5am last Friday morning, has raised fears among Brexiteers that, amid deep Cabinet divisions and growing time pressure to finalise a deal by October, plots are being laid to delay Brexit....